Debra Bounous

About

Debra Bounous was born in Seattle, and moved to Utah with her family at the age of ten. After earning a vocal performance/pedagogy degree at Brigham Young University, with Lila Stuart Bachelder as her principal mentor, Debra studied voice in France for one year with Chantal Carduzzo of the Conservatoire de Musique in Paris. Favorite musical theater roles have included Marian the Librarian in The Music Man and Mrs. Molloy in Hello Dolly. She has also filled supporting roles in The King and I, South Pacific, and Showboat. Opera roles have been the likes of Mother in Amahl and the Night Visitors, Giulietta in The Tales of Hoffmann, the countess in The Marriage of Figaro, Liberty in The Proposal, Katisha in the Mikado, and Mother in Hansel and Gretel. Debra has played supporting roles in School for the Fathers, Barber of Seville, Marriage of Figaro, The Crucible, and La Boheme. She is seen regularly in productions of Utah Lyric Opera Society. Her oratorio solo experience has included Handel's Messiah and the Faure Requiem. Debra is a two-time winner of the BYU Young Artist Scholarship Award, and was a first place winner in the 1995 NATS competition (National Association of Teachers of Singing). She has taught voice in the BYU School of Music since 1996 and, with husband Barry, co-founded Voiceworks, a private vocal school for youth and adults. She also teaches voice for children in the Suzuki style. The mother of three, Debra gives regular performances with Barry in addition to the featured roles highlighted above.